RipplesMetrics: Incoming governors face big tasks as 18 bid farewell on May 29 (Part 3)

As the tenures of some Nigerian governors draw to a close, we take a look at the performance of five more governors who are preparing to leave office on May 29, 2023.

The states under assessment for this concluding report are Niger, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, and Taraba.

To better understand their fiscal performance, we have compiled the following table which includes figures on domestic debt, IGR growth rate, capital importation, out-of-school children, and the number of poor adults (18+) in each state.

Niger State

Outgoing Governor Abubakar Sani Bello of Niger state oversaw a significant increase in domestic debt during his tenure, with figures rising from N31.98 billion in 2016 to N95.59 billion in 2022.

On a positive note, the state’s IGR growth rate increased from N5.97 billion in 2015 to N16.22 billion in 2021.

However, the number of out-of-school children remained high at 292,700 in 2017/2018 and the state had 1.64 million poor adults.

Plateau State

In Plateau state, Governor Simon Lalong also oversaw an increase in domestic debt, which rose from N110.34 billion in 2016 to N149.01 billion in 2022.

The state’s IGR growth rate also increased from N6.94 billion in 2015 to N21.43 billion in 2021. The number of out-of-school children was 335,866, and the state had 2.22 million poor adults in 2017/2018.

Rivers State

One of the most charismatic and influential, Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers state oversaw a significant increase in both domestic debt and capital importation during his tenure.

Domestic debt rose from N142.42 billion in 2016 to N225.51 billion in 2022, while capital importation increased from $82.10 million in 2019(Q1)-2022(Q2) to $123.35 million.

READ ALSO:Ripplesmetrics: Fiscal performance ranking of 17 Nigerian governors leaving office by May 29 (Part 2)

The number of out-of-school children was 188,590 in 2017/2018 and the state had 2.52 million poor adults.

Sokoto State

In Sokoto state, Governor Aminu Tambuwal oversaw a substantial increase in domestic debt, which rose from N22.45 billion in 2016 to N90.60 billion in 2022.

The state’s IGR growth rate also increased from N6.22 billion in 2015 to N23.76 billion in 2021.

So did the number of out-of-school children as it stands at 436,570 as at 2017/2018.

Also, the state had 2.63 million poor adults

Taraba State

Finally, Governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba State oversaw an increase in domestic debt, which rose from N38.87 billion in 2016 to N87.96 billion in 2022.

The state’s IGR growth rate increased from N4.16 billion in 2015 to N9.63 billion in 2021.

Unfortunately, the state did not report any figures for capital importation, and the number of out-of-school children was high at 499,923, in 2017/2018

Latest statistics put the number of poor adults at 1.37 million.

Conclusion

In conclusion, while some governors oversaw positive growth in IGR and capital importation, all 18 states assessed experienced an increase in domestic debt during their tenures.

The number of out-of-school children also remains high across states, indicating a need for further investment in education.

Additionally, poverty rate is on the rise and the World Bank has predicted that the number of Nigerians below poverty line will rise by 13 million between 2019 and 2025

This griming statistics shows that the incoming governors beyond the celebration have a lot of work on their hands.

Anything short of surpassing the outgoing governor’s performance will lead to worsening social and economic indicators for residents in these states.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now